


Are you afraid of the dark?

by Lilithangel



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Coercion, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 22:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1321360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilithangel/pseuds/Lilithangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With nobody else left Willow has to face the nightmare her choices created. Haunted by the faces of her lost friends she had studied her magic as best she could in hiding and now it was time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are you afraid of the dark?

_It had all gone terribly wrong. She hadn’t meant to fall in love with Angel, had never expected Angel to fall in love with her but it had been intoxicating and she hadn’t fought it for long._

_To have the gift of her virginity thrown in Buffy’s face by the smirking monster wearing Angel’s features devastated her but not as much as the look on Buffy’s face did. She didn’t expect anything but the rage and distrust she received but she had hoped that with Giles and Jenny’s help she could have redeemed things just a little._

* * * * *

Nobody opened their doors at night without checking first anymore and it was only complete surprise (and the security of the threshold) that made Willow even open hers when she saw who was on the other side.

“I didn’t think frontal attacks were Angelus’ preferred method of ambush,” she said.

“He’s too sneaky for that,” Spike agreed leaning against the barrier.

“You’re looking more upright than the last time I saw you,” she said, “is this some sort of intimidation attempt?”

“Nope, this is a tentative hand of peace.”

“Peace,” she snorted.

“How about a strategic temporary alliance?” Spike smirked. “Angelus has gone too far with this Acathla business. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got no problem with mayhem and slaughter but ending the world kind of defeats the purpose.”

Nobody knew how to awaken Acathla but that hadn’t stopped Angelus trying and another piece of Willow’s soul was darkened convincing Xander to leave town before Angelus sacrificed him along with half of their school. 

“He’s going to keep on trying until he brings the world down around him,” Spike continued, “so I figure the smart thing is to magic that stupid soul of his back and you’re the only witch he hasn’t killed yet.”

“Why on earth would I trust you?” Willow demanded.

“What other choice do you have?” he replied. “As a gesture of good faith…” Spike flipped a disc in her direction and she caught it reflexively. “The watcher’s woman was working on this the night Angelus killed her. He didn’t think anything of it but one of my pets went back and took a look. Might have something useful on it. I’ll come find you later.” He straightened up and sauntered off with a smirk.

* * * * *

_“I love you,” she said turning in the bed to face Angel, “I didn’t want to but I can’t deny how I feel even for Buffy.”_

_“Buffy will understand, we didn’t mean to fall in love but we did.” Angel placed a kiss on Willow’s shoulder and she shivered with desire._

_“You do love me?”_

_“I’ve never felt like this about anyone before,” Angel replied, “being here with you is the happiest I’ve ever been. I can’t think of a more perfect moment.”_

Willow was shaking by the time she read through everything on the disc. The entire ritual detailed and even where to find the vital components. Just five minutes more and Jenny would have given them all the ammunition they needed to get rid of Angelus forever, and Willow wouldn’t have had to stand at three funerals too drained to even cry, with Xander’s stony gaze across each grave reminding her of her actions.

She knew how to fix it now but she was scared. It could all go horribly wrong and she would destroy the world. She never wanted to be the one that saved the world any more than Buffy had but Buffy at least had a mission. That hadn’t helped in the end, not in the face of her betrayal. 

 

She couldn’t be scared, she had to act. She knew how the curse worked now and if Angelus figured it out she would only have one chance to fix things. So she would need an ally, someone as clever as Angelus or as close as she could get.

* * * * * 

“I need an Orb of Thesulah,” Willow said to Spike who was back in his wheelchair. They were meeting around the corner from the warehouse, too close to Angelus for her comfort but Spike was confident they were secure and she was running out of time.

And she still couldn’t force herself to forget the adoration and worshipful way Angel touched her, waking up aroused and crying as her town slowly died. Cordelia and Kendra helped as best they could but Angelus was too clever and too well prepared. Without Buffy, Giles, Jenny and Xander it was all they could do to hold back the worst. Restoring Angel wouldn’t turn the clock back but it might save the town and the world.

_He left her drawings of her sleeping, a doll with blonde hair and a stake in one hand, a broken pair of Giles’ glasses. Blood red roses appeared wherever she went, every hiding place revealed to let her know he was right behind her toying with her because it amused him._

“Easy,” Spike said, “know a place that sells them for paperweights. Who’d a thought a cheap trinket was the key to bringing Angelus down.” He grinned. “So what’s the plan?”

“I’m going to cast the spell as soon as you get me the Orb and you’re going to take Drusilla and go.”

“That’s it?”

“Does it need anything else?”

“I like you,” Spike laughed, “simple and direct. Might just keep himself occupied while you’re doing it anyway. Bastard doesn’t know I’m upright, really looking forward to showing him different. He’s gone hunting for someone who could tell him about Acathla, some demon he used to know. I’ll get you the orb for Wednesday so be ready.”

* * * * *

Wednesday rolled around and she was ready, pacing her living room and nervously checking out the window every few minutes. She was halfway through a loop when there was a pounding on the door.

“Bastard figured something was going on,” a frazzled Spike was on the other side looking over his shoulder bruising visible on his face. “Got the orb but don’t know how far behind me he is.”

“Come in,” she said urgently, hustling him inside and closing the door quickly. “I’ve got everything ready, where’s the orb?”

Spike held the orb in his outstretched hand. She reached for it and watched helplessly as he let it roll off his fingers and crash to the floor shattering into shards.

“Sorry pet,” he said, “change of plans.” Before she could say anything he had grabbed both her wrists in one hand, spun her around and slapped the other over her mouth. “Angelus is bored with playing.”

She struggled but he had her tight.

“Keep on struggling, Gelus prefers it,” Spike said as he dragged her to the door. “Don’t feel bad, you’re still saving the world.” He kicked opened the door and pulled her outside where Drusilla was waiting.

“Such a pretty kitty,” Drusilla crooned, “full of tasty magic just the way daddy likes them.”

“Drusilla’s promised that Angelus just needs a distraction and he’ll forget about ending the world,” Spike said.

“Daddy needs a new pet to bring him back to us properly,” Drusilla said as Spike quickly gagged her and bound her hands together, “his lust for you tied the future into knots and broke the destiny of the Slayer. We will be a family again and the world will dance for us.”

* * * * *

Angelus was waiting at the factory for them, standing in front of several covered figures.

“Today Willow Rosenberg we’re playing ‘what’s under the sheet?’” Angelus said in a smarmy game show host voice.

Spike dropped her onto a chair in front of Angelus. “What’s it going to be,” he said mimicking Angelus, “the end of the world or the end of your friend?”

Angelus whipped the sheets off to reveal the statue of Acathla and a bound and restrained Xander. Willow tried to struggle to her feet but Drusilla kept her pinned to the chair. Xander was alive but barely from what she could see.

“Yes Willow, the choice is yours,” Angelus continued jovially, “let your friend die or let the world end, what do you chose?”

Willow shook her head frantically. She knew the choice was how soon Xander would die and that Angelus would take great pleasure in drawing it out until they were both destroyed.

Angelus prowled over and brushed the hair out of her face tenderly before pressing hard on a bruise on her cheek.

“You’ve been a very naughty girl,” he said, “caused me a lot of problems but you weren’t a bad lay all things considered so I have a proposition for you. Surrender and be a good little bitch and Spike will destroy Acathla. We’ll keep Xander of course, to ensure your continued cooperation, and anyway Drusilla’s been at me to get Spike a pet. Is your freedom more important than the world?” He wiped the tears from her eyes and sucked the moisture from his fingers.

“Why are we asking again?” Spike said picking up a crowbar. With focused glee he smashed the statue into pieces sending the shrapnel flying around the room. Several pieces sliced into Xander flesh and he groaned into wakefulness in time to see Angelus lick around the gag in Willow’s mouth and fondle her breasts.

“Stay, bad doggy,” Drusilla said tapping him on the head. “The witch wants to be with Angelus we just had to remind her.”

“Say goodbye to your little friend,” Angelus told Willow, “you’ll just have to trust that he’s alive at your pleasure. Well my pleasure but you get the idea.” He squeezed her breast hard.

Spike slung Xander over his shoulder and gave Willow a jaunty wave. “I promise to feed him and walk him and only punish him when he’s bad,” he said. “I’m sure he’s trainable.”

“I want a kitten next,” Drusilla said and she danced alongside Spike as they left Willow alone with Angelus.

“It was a good game but you were never going to win,” Angelus crouched down in front of her, “not after you destroyed Buffy. Angel loved her you know, but my lust for you was stronger and he was blind enough to convince himself it was love. You’ll never get hold of another orb so he’s never coming back. I don’t think you want him back either, can you imagine the guilt?” Angelus smirked. “If you’re a good girl you’ll get nice clothes and good food and Spike’s pet gets to live another day, a fair deal don’t you think?”

Willow looked into a future of pain and humiliation she knew was her penance for failure, for betrayal, for letting desire override friendship. It wasn’t the world she’d imagined living in, it wasn’t what she dreamed of when Angel had held her in his arms, but it was the consequence she had to accept and she could only hope that the next slayer would find the strength to bring down Angelus where she had failed. If she could allow herself any hope.

END


End file.
